Chapter no.38: Meeting The "Oni"

The soft hum of Miku's alarm filled the room, vibrating lightly on her bedside table until she reached over, eyes barely open, and slapped it into silence. She lay there for a second, half-wrapped in her tangled blanket, staring up at the ceiling as her mind struggled to boot up. Another day. Another school morning. Nothing special. She gave herself a few more seconds, savoring the quiet, before finally sitting up and stretching.

The faint smell of coffee and something burnt drifted up the stairs. She scrunched her nose and muttered, "Dad's trying to cook again," before slipping out of bed and pulling on her oversized hoodie. She padded downstairs, her socks sliding a bit on the polished wood floor, as her mom's voice drifted through the hallway.

"Akira, you're going to set the kitchen on fire if you keep that up!"

Miku stepped into the kitchen to find her father, wearing a horribly clashing striped apron, poking at a frying pan with a spatula, his face twisted in concentration. A pile of blackened eggs lay smoking on the counter beside him. Her mom, meanwhile, was busy fussing over a grocery list, her eyebrows knitted together as she muttered to herself.

Miku leaned against the doorframe, crossing her arms with a smirk. "How's breakfast coming along, Chef?"

Her dad jumped, almost knocking the frying pan off the stove. "Ah! Morning, Miku! I'm, uh… perfecting a new recipe."

Miku raised an eyebrow, glancing at the charred eggs. "Right. The recipe for charcoal?"

"Hey, everyone's a critic," he muttered, scraping the eggs into the trash with a sigh. "I just wanted to surprise you two with a nice breakfast. Is that so bad?"

"Maybe next time surprise us with cereal. Less chance of arson," Miku replied, grabbing an apple from the fruit bowl and taking a crisp bite. Her mom snorted, clearly trying to hold back a laugh.

"Your daughter has a point," her mom said, jotting down a note on her list. "Why don't you leave the cooking to me? I need you to handle the shopping today anyway."

"Shopping?" He looked horrified, glancing between his wife and daughter as if hoping for an escape. "Can't Miku do it? I mean, she's young, full of energy—"

"Nice try," Miku cut in, rolling her eyes. "I have school, remember?"

"School's not that important," her dad joked, winking. "You could skip a day and help your old man out."

Miku snorted, finishing her apple and tossing the core in the trash. "Only if you want me to fail and end up working in the grocery store with you. I'm sure Mom would love that."

"Don't even joke," her mom replied, turning to give her husband a stern look. "Akira, you're going, and that's final. And try not to buy another one of those 'experimental' snacks. I'm still finding bits of that seaweed jerky everywhere."

"Fine, fine," he sighed dramatically, patting Miku on the head as she slipped past him. "Don't grow up too fast, okay? It's a trap."

"Right. I'll keep that in mind," she said dryly, grabbing her bag from the coat rack and slinging it over her shoulder.

As she headed out the door, her younger brother, Taro, came barreling down the stairs, his backpack bouncing wildly against his back. "Wait up, Miku!" he shouted, half out of breath before he even reached her. "Walk with me?"

She sighed but slowed her pace, glancing down at him with a small smile. Taro was in middle school and idolized her more than she thought was reasonable. He trotted beside her, still panting a little, clutching a hand-drawn comic book he'd made himself.

"What's that?" she asked, pointing at the comic as they made their way down the street.

"Oh, it's the latest issue of Super Taro vs. The Evil Principal! I'm going to show it to my friends today!" He held it up proudly, pages already wrinkled from being stuffed in his bag.

Miku chuckled. "You're gonna get in trouble if the principal sees that, you know."

"Pfft. Like he can stop Super Taro," he replied, puffing his chest out with a grin. Then he looked up at her, expression serious. "Hey, Miku… are you gonna bring me something cool from high school today?"

"Depends. What kind of 'cool' are you looking for?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I dunno… maybe something mysterious? Like a secret password or a cool handshake?"

"High school isn't a spy agency, Taro. It's just more classes and more homework," she said with a shrug.

He groaned in disappointment. "Man, you ruin everything."

"Trust me, I'm doing you a favor," she replied with a smirk, giving him a playful shove. He laughed and nearly tripped over his own feet, stumbling before regaining his balance.

As they reached his school, Taro turned to her, eyes wide with something close to awe. "One day, I'll be as cool as you, Miku."

She snorted. "Let's hope not." She ruffled his hair, ignoring his protests as he tried to duck away. "Have a good day, Taro. And try not to get suspended with that comic, alright?"

"No promises!" he shouted back as he ran off, disappearing into the crowd of kids by the gate.

Shaking her head, Miku continued her walk to her own school. The streets were lined with the usual mix of early-morning commuters, coffee cups in hand, and clusters of students trudging along, earbuds in, faces blank with the resigned look of teenagers headed to another day of lectures.

When she finally arrived at school, she made her way through the front entrance and headed toward her locker, tuning out the noise around her. That was when she heard a familiar voice call out her name.

"Yo, Miku!"

She turned to see her best friend, Hana, jogging up to her, her pink hair tied back in a messy ponytail, her oversized headphones hanging around her neck. Hana was always a little out of breath, a little disheveled, and always exactly where she was needed. She had an energy about her that made even the most boring days feel like they had a spark.

"Hey, Hana," Miku greeted, adjusting the straps of her bag as Hana fell into step beside her. "Did you finish the history homework?"

"Pfft, as if! I was too busy binging that new crime series last night. But I'm just gonna copy yours anyway, so it's fine." She grinned, winking.

Miku rolled her eyes. "You're lucky I'm used to you freeloading off me."

"Hey, I provide a valuable service. Without me, you'd be bored out of your mind." Hana nudged her playfully, leaning closer. "So… any updates on that guy from detention yesterday? The brooding, mysterious one? Kozen?"

Miku snorted. "Oh, him? We just talked about video games for a bit. He seemed… interesting, I guess. A little intense."

"Oooh, 'interesting'?" Hana waggled her eyebrows, grinning. "Is that your way of saying you're into him?"

"Calm down," Miku said, chuckling despite herself. "I just met him, Hana. But… I don't know. He's got this vibe, like he's hiding something big."

"Yeah, I heard he's a bit of a weirdo," Hana said, glancing over her shoulder as if expecting to see Kozen appear out of nowhere. "A few of the guys in my art class said he's involved in some shady stuff. Blackmail or something."

"Shady stuff, huh?" Miku murmured, half to herself. She couldn't deny that Kozen seemed like he had secrets. But there was something about him she couldn't shake, a curiosity that kept nagging at the back of her mind.

"Anyway, spill more details later," Hana said, giving her a dramatic wink. "I wanna know everything about the bad boy and the gaming princess."

"You watch too many dramas," Miku retorted, rolling her eyes as they approached their classroom.

"Hey, reality's boring," Hana replied with a shrug. "I gotta spice it up somehow."

As they slipped into their seats, Miku settled back, her mind wandering. She thought about Kozen, about the strange way he looked at her, like he was seeing something beyond the surface. The guy was definitely a puzzle, but she couldn't decide if she wanted to solve it or leave it alone.

Maybe Hana was right—maybe she did need a little excitement.

It had been months since Miku had last seen Kozen, but every day, without even realizing it, she'd find herself slowing down near his classroom, glancing in like a nervous schoolgirl to see if he'd returned. She didn't know why she was still looking. She'd only spoken to him once, hadn't she? Maybe it was curiosity. Or maybe…

"You're interested in him," Hana chirped, smirking as she leaned into Miku's line of sight. Miku had learned to ignore her best friend's "psychic insights" about her crushes, but Hana was relentless.

"Sure, keep dreaming," Miku replied, quickening her pace as they walked through the hall. But Hana kept up, her pink hair bouncing as she clutched her notebook to her chest like she was holding onto a scandalous secret.

"Hey, don't take it personally," Hana teased, nudging her. "I just didn't expect you to be into the 'mysterious, exotic bad boy' type."

"Exotic?" Miku shot her a look. "What are you talking about?"

"Look around, Miku," Hana whispered theatrically, gesturing at the sea of students filing into their classrooms. "Kozen stands out here. We've got last year's beauty pageant queen—you—and the new 'exotic prince' himself. Think of it! A real-life high school drama!"

Miku rolled her eyes. "Oh please. I only entered that stupid pageant at last year's sports festival because you dared me. Now I've got boys coming up to confess every other day. It's exhausting."

Hana grinned as if she'd won something. "Hey, if you hadn't entered, we wouldn't have the reigning campus queen here, and where would my drama club be without that? You and Kozen should totally join us. We could stage—"

And off she went, spiraling into another one of her passionate monologues about the endless possibilities for drama club productions. Miku didn't bother trying to interrupt; this was typical Hana, building imaginary worlds with a dramatic flair only she could pull off. And while Miku would never admit it out loud, reading Hana's "fanfiction" based on the lives of people they knew around school had become a guilty pleasure. She was practically Hana's beta reader by now.

Hana's voice faded into the background as they walked down the hallway, her words blurring together as Miku's gaze darted forward.

And then she saw him.

After months, Kozen was back, standing by his locker, and he looked… different. He seemed taller somehow, broader in the shoulders, his once-slim frame now more muscular. There was a sharpness to his features, a maturity in his posture, as though he'd been through something difficult and come out on the other side stronger. He was laughing quietly at something Kohta had said, his smile subtle but real, and Miku felt her cheeks flush involuntarily.

"Wow, he's more muscular than I thought," Hana muttered, staring unabashedly. "Look at those arms. How big do you think his cock is?"

"Hana!" Miku hissed, face going red as she picked up her pace.

"Come on, tell me! You've gotta have an estimate."

"Why would I know? We talked once!"

"Oh, so you're saying it was memorable?" Hana's voice was smug, and Miku could practically hear her smirking.

"Shut up, Hana."

Hana only leaned in closer, whispering, "Fine, fine. Then I'll take a chance—can I date him?"

Miku's only response was to walk faster, her heart racing for reasons she refused to admit to herself. Hana laughed behind her, her voice teasing as she followed her all the way to class.

---

By the time lunch rolled around, Miku had finally managed to shake off Hana's comments. She took her bento box and headed to her usual spot in the cafeteria, hoping for a moment of peace. But Hana, as usual, had other plans.

"Hey, why don't we sit with your boyfriend and catch up?" Hana said, popping up beside Miku out of nowhere, nearly making her drop her lunch.

"Shut up," Miku grumbled, pulling her tray closer.

"Or what?" Hana leaned in, grinning. "You'll quote Lord of the Rings at me?"

"Yes," Miku shot back with a small smirk. "And I know a lot of Elvish, so don't tempt me."

They spotted Kozen and Kohta sitting at a table near the windows, Kohta gesturing wildly as he described something with an expression of intense concentration. Despite herself, Miku's feet took her in that direction, and Hana followed with an eager grin.

Kozen's gaze flicked up, meeting Miku's eyes with a quiet intensity that made her heart skip. He gave a small nod, gesturing for them to sit.

"Been a while," Miku said casually, sliding into the seat across from him, her tone calm though her pulse betrayed her.

Kozen raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, I guess it has. Things came up." His voice was low, his words clipped but not unkind. He didn't elaborate, and Miku didn't push.

Kohta, oblivious to any tension, launched into a monologue about his latest game conquest. "So, Kozen here taught me this incredible build in dark souls! I actually managed to KO Manus on my first try, thanks to him."

Hana nudged Kohta, feigning interest with a dramatic sigh. "I don't know much about fighting games, but I'm sure it's thrilling. I'll stick to my visual novels, though." She winked at Miku, adding, "You know, the ones with actual character development."

"Oh, please," Kozen retorted, a smirk tugging at his lips. "I'm sure those visual novels are full of groundbreaking plot twists, right?"

"Hey!" Hana protested, feigning offense. "You'd be surprised. Some of them have choices that rival real-life decisions. Like, do you confess your undying love or take the secret route where everyone dies in the end?"

Kohta's eyes went wide. "Wait, that sounds kinda awesome, actually."

Hana grinned. "You, my friend, are welcome to join the drama club anytime. We're doing a whole visual novel-inspired production next month. There's a 'mysterious bad boy' role I think you'd be perfect for, Kozen." She shot a wink at Miku, clearly delighted with her matchmaking attempt.

Miku rolled her eyes, fighting back a laugh as she focused on her lunch. Kozen, though, seemed unfazed. "Sorry, Hana, but I think I'll stick to the arcades," he replied, his tone casual but his gaze flicking to Miku.

They lapsed into easy conversation, Hana filling Kohta in on the latest school gossip while Kozen and Miku exchanged occasional glances, a silent but comfortable understanding passing between them.

Finally, Kozen leaned in slightly, his voice low so only Miku could hear. "So, are you still up for the challenge? Breaking that world record?"

Miku's eyes lit up. "Think you can beat me?"

Kozen smirked, shrugging. "We'll see. There's a nearby arcade with all the games we need to try it out."

"Oh, I'd love to come too!" Kohta chimed in, his eyes wide with enthusiasm.

But before Miku could answer, Hana leaned forward, grinning slyly. "You know, Kohta, I've been dying to try that new cheesecake place downtown. Why don't we make it a date?"

Kohta's face turned bright red, his eyes practically sparkling as he looked at her. "Y-you… really? I mean… yeah! I-I mean… yes. L-let's… let's do that. Cheesecake sounds… sounds… a-amazing."

And with that, he promptly fainted, slumping over the table in a blissful daze, leaving the rest of them laughing.

Author Note: More chapters on P@treon.com/LordCampione.